Jeremy Muir

Partner - Financial Services

Jeremy is a specialist financial services and investment lawyer. He works with retail and wholesale fund managers (including KiwiSaver and superannuation), trustee companies, derivatives issuers, FinTech (including crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending platforms), insurers and start-ups. He is also one of New Zealand’s leading lawyers advising on cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings (ICOs) and digital tokens – working closely with the Financial Markets Authority and other regulators in relation to the treatment of coins, tokens, schemes and exchanges under New Zealand law.

Jeremy enjoys working with alternative assets and structures across private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, property investment vehicles, marinas and innovative platforms and products. He is a limited partnerships expert, having established numerous private equity and venture capital funds, including negotiating with significant cornerstone investors such as the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF), New Zealand Super Fund, ACC and Maori investors.

Jeremy also spent several years working in offshore funds for a major offshore law firm, and is admitted to the bar in both Guernsey and the Cayman Islands.

Professional background

Recent work

Milford

Advised Milford with establishing their first private equity fund and first fund structured as a limited partnership. This was strategically important for Milford as their first private equity fund, and first fund structured as a limited partnership. Milford relied on our market-leading expertise in the establishment of these PE fund structures to ensure a smooth and trouble-fee establishment process and a successful fund launch.

Pioneer Capital Management Limited

Assisted to establish their third private equity fund, Pioneer Capital Partners III LP (PCP III). We played a key role in all aspects of the establishment of PCP III and associated investor and management bodies.

Southern Cross Finance Limited

Assisted to transition its contributory mortgage business to the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 (FMCA) regime as a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending service provider. This matter is significant because it was the first P2P lending service licence granted to a contributory mortgage broker of the size of the Southern Cross Financial Group. We advised on all aspects of the transition/establishment of the Southern Cross’ P2P platform.

Continuity

Assisted Continuity to invest in a number of New Zealand private equity and venture capital funds, through both primary and secondary acquisitions of interests in those funds. We advised Continuity on a number of unique investment arrangements and provided restructuring advice for tax purposes in relation to Continuity restructuring its investment portfolios across a range of Australian and New Zealand entities.

New Ground Capital Limited

We assisted New Ground to establish the Impact Enterprise Fund, as a joint venture with the Akina Foundation, which is New Zealand’s first social impact investment fund.

Innovation Capital Limited

We assisted Innovation Capital to establish its first venture capital fund, Wynyard Innovation Fund 1 LP, in order to leverage its existing relationships with fast growing early and seed stage businesses.

Sharesies

We have advised Sharesies, a start-up investment portfolio service, on structure and compliance with financial services regulatory laws.

VerifyUnion

We advised on the New Zealand legal requirements in respect of offering the UC Coin to New Zealand investors, to allow VerifyUnion, a New Zealand-based company, to include New Zealand investors in its offer.

Cryptocurrencies and tokens

We have advised a number of New Zealand businesses on development of cryptocurrency and digital token related services, including exchanges, wholesale fund managers, start-up buyers and ICO-related services.